Next Generation Thermostat Makes the Smart Grid a Reality

July 28, 2009, Indianapolis, IN and Madison, WI -- Corporate Systems Engineering (CSE) of Indianapolis, IN and Research Products Corporation of Madison, WI have announced the development and commercialization of a Demand Response Thermostat to bring the Smart Grid to reality. The companies have entered into a mutually exclusive license agreement, which allows CSE to manufacture, market, and sell Aprilaire Demand Response Communicating Thermostats in the U.S., Canadian, and Australian electric utility marketplaces.

“This partnership now allows, for the first time anywhere, utilities and energy companies to have an affordable, cost effective, two-way communication solution perfectly suited for mass deployment” says Steve Taylor, President of CSE, an Indianapolis-based leader in Demand Response Solutions.

Taylor further stated, “This partnership is a perfect fit. Aprilaire has been the brand leader for over 70 years in the indoor air quality and energy efficiency industry, and CSE has been the leader in Energy Aggregation and Control Systems for electrical utilities for over 30 years. The combination provides utilities and homeowners alike with the perfect solution for Utility Demand Control, and homeowner comfort and ease of operation, all while helping to reduce our nation's skyrocketing energy costs.”

This full featured solution provides a complete range of control options for the utility or energy provider and a complete suite of options for cost savings, comfort, and control for the home or business owner. Featuring full seven-day programmability and menu style programming, the Demand Response Two-Way Communicating Thermostat introduces event notification and remote customer opt-out capability either at the thermostat or via a secure Web portal that can be accessed from any Internet capable device or in-home display. This solution can be enabled with a wide variety of two-way communications media, including Mesh Radio, Cellular, Zigbee, Homeplug, and BPL and can be easily integrated into any Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) Deployment.